Folding seat structure

ABSTRACT

A seat structure of carboard and the like is illustrated wherein a seat portion and a back portion as well as flaps provided for interconnecting the seat and the back are formed from a single blank providing a foldable seat for use upon bleachers and the like as when attending sporting events. The flaps are insertable within a pair of inwardly converging slots carried in the seat portion to resist the force exerted by a user leaning back.

This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 584,481, filedJune 6, 1975, now abandoned, and a continuation in part of applicationSer. No. 490,766 filed July 22, 1974, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a seat structure which is formed from a singleblank, requiring no additional accessories of any kind, and which may bereadily assembled for providing an individualized seat structure capableof a variety of uses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The seat structure hereof is an improvement upon the seat structureillustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,569. The structure of the patent ishighly useful and successful in many respects, but it possesses thedisadvantage of requiring the use of tape, thus requiring additionalprocessing during manufacturing. Seat structures of the prior art suchas that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,036 utilize a single centralnotch utilizing cardboard sufficient for the brace panels to extend tothe middle of the seat and back and to form a tab when an individual isseated and leans back the sides tend to close in. The corners formed bythe seat back and sides are unoccupied by an individual thus seated sothat full use is not made of the construction material.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a seat structurewhich may be stamped or formed by a rotary press from a single cardboardblank and the like utilizing a minimum of cardboard and the like. Theseat structure may be die cut from a single blank, and it is possible toprint advertising material on the back thereof at the same time.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a seat structurewhich may be used for a variety of purposes and which may be readilystacked, assembled and shipped. For example, the seat structure may befolded containing a recording and wrapped in shrink wrapping forshipping of records and the like. The seat may be later utilized for itsintended purpose at games and the like. The seat structure may be givenaway for advertising purposes or it may be sold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that a folding cardboard seat structure may be formedfrom a single blank by providing a transverse score forming a seat andback portion with marginal flaps extending from the back portion anddownwardly extending flaps depending from the first mentioned flaps forinsertion in inwardly converging slots carried by the seat portion andfolded down against the seat for assembling the seat components inposition for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawingsforming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown andwherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustrating the single cardboard blank havingbeen stamped and otherwise prepared for use as a seat structure hereofin accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a first step in the assemblyof the components of the seat structure,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a further step in the assemblyof the seat components, and

FIG. 4 is an assembled view looking toward the rear of the fullyassembled seat structure.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The drawings illustrate folding cardboard seat structure including anelongated substantially rectangular blank A having longitudinal fluting.A transverse score B in said blank forms a seat and a back portion.Spaced longitudinal, marginal scores C in the back portion extend fromthe transverse score defining marginal back flaps extending outwardlyfrom the back portion. A marginal downwardly extending flap D is hingedadjacent each end of the transverse score B, being severed from the seatportion and extending on each side thereof. A pair of inwardlyconverging slots E are carried in the seat portion for receivingrespective downwardly extending flaps D. Thus, the downwardly extendingflaps may be inserted from the underside of the seat into the slots andfolded against the seat portion positioning the back in upright positionproviding individualized seating upon stadium seats and the like.

The elongated, rectangular blank A has longitudinal fluting 10 (FIG. 1).The seat is adapted to be folded along a transverse score which isillustrated in the form of a score B opening on the lower face of theblank. The seat structure may be carried in folded position by foldingthe flaps inwardly and by engaging a flap 11 which is hinged at score 12in a complimentary cutout portion 13 carried adjacent a remote end ofthe blank. The transverse score B forms a seat portion 14 and a backportion 15. A similar parallel slit score 16 is carried adjacent theremote end of the blank and may be folded downwardly as illustrated inFIGS. 2, 3 and 4 forming a forward portion 17 extending over the frontedge of a stadium seat and the like for positioning the seat structurehereof thereon.

Spaced longitudinal marginal scores C are illustrated as extendingupwardly substantially at right angles from the transverse score Bdefining marginal back flaps 18 and 19. It will be observed thatmarginal downwardly extending flaps D are hinged adjacent each end ofthe transverse score B and that they are severed entirely from the seatportion and extend on each side thereof. The back flaps 18 and 19 haveouter edges 20 which extend toward the depending flaps D and form acommon outer edge therewith. An intermediate score 21 extends outwardlyfrom the junction of the scores C and B. A substantially V-shaped flap22 is thus provided bridging the flaps 18 and 19 and respectivedownwardly extending flaps D carried thereby. A further substantiallyV-shaped flap 23 is hinged on one side but it has otherwise free edges23a and 23b which extend toward a free base.

It will be observed that each of the downwardly extending flaps havedouble scored portions 25 extending thereacross intermediate their endsto facilitate insertion of tip portions 26 within the inwardlyconverging slots E and to accommodate the thickness of the seat portion14. It will be further observed by reference to FIG. 3 that, afterinsertion of the tip portion, by depressing the tip portions 26 acrossthe cut out flaps 23 that the base portions 24 of the flaps will snapthereover after which the flaps D will be held in interlockingrelationship thereto.

It is important to note that since the flaps after insertion andpositioned beneath the cutout flaps 23 maintain the seat in openposition. This is important since spectators at sporting events oftenjump up and down and it is important that the seat remain in openposition.

It will be observed that the seat portion 14 tapers rearwardly as at 27toward the transverse score B with which it is joined. The flaps D areinitially formed by cutting along the line 27. The flaps D are eachsevered from the seat portion substantially along lines 27 extendingfrom forward portions of said seat portion on each side thereof. Theflaps extend on each side of the seat portion which tapers inwardly fromfront to rear. Since the transverse score B includes opposed downwardlyinclined terminal portions, FIG. 1, extending outwardly from each end ofan intermediate portion between the marginal scores C the seat ismaintained in fully open position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 with theback tilted rearwardly. The opposed downwardly inclined portions formthe base of the V-shaped flaps 22, serving as a hinge for the dependingflaps D, which bears upon the tapering portions 27 when the seat is inopen position.

It will be noted that a depression or recess, 28 is created as in theupper seat portion as by a brush score when said blank is stamped out.The recess is of a configuration to preferably snugly receive anoverlying portion of the flaps D when in folded position for aiding inproducing a more nearly even or smooth seat portion for supporting anindividual when sitting with the seat in open assembled configuration.As illustrated the recesses extend outwardly of the converging slots Etoward the V-shaped flaps 22 within which the flaps D are locked.

Since the inwardly converging slots are at an angle to the force exertedthrough the flaps D when supporting an individual in the area of theV-shaped flap portion 22 and are therefore, more effective in resistingthe force than are the brace panels of the prior art, less material of alighter weight has been found suitable for the seats illustrated hereinto provide a more stable support for a person of comparable size.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described usingspecific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, andit is to be understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A folding cardboard seat structure including:anelongated substantially rectangular blank having longitudinal fluting, atransverse score in said blank forming a seat portion and a backportion, spaced substantially longitudinal, marginal scores in said backportion extending from said transverse score defining marginal backflaps extending outwardly from said back portion, a marginal, downwardlyextending flap hinged adjacent a lower edge of each of said marginalback flaps and being severed from said seat portion and extending oneach side of said seat portion along inclined lines extending fromforward portions of said seat portion on each side thereof and taperinginwardly rearwardly toward said transverse score and said marginalscores in said back portion, said transverse score including opposeddownwardly inclined terminal portions from which said marginaldownwardly extending flaps are hinged, a pair of inwardly convergingelongated slots carried in said seat portion for receiving respectivedownwardly extending flaps, means for locking a forward free end of eachof said downwardly extending flaps when folded against the seat portionpositioning the back in upright position, and said marginal back flapsdiverging from said back portion in open position at such an angle thatsaid opposed downwardly inclined terminal portions of said transversescore are in alignment with said lines extending from forward portionsof said seat portion, whereby the back of an occupant of the seat issupported in the area adjacent said marginal back flaps.
 2. Thestructure set forth in claim 1 including, an intermediate scoreextending outwardly and upwardly from said transverse score in said baseportion between said marginal scores and said transverse score forming aV-shaped flap wherein said first mentioned flaps are locked.
 3. Thestructure set forth in claim 1 including a recess in said seat portionextending from each of said converging slots outwardly receiving anoverlying portion of said flaps when in folded position for aiding inproducing a more nearly even seat portion when sitting.